International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)
Volume 4 Issue 3, April 2020 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470
Abolition of Corporal Punishment as a Form of Discipline in
Cameroon’s Secondary Schools: “Constraint or Enhancement”
of Appropriate Behaviors
Nkemngong Atemnkeng1, Honorine Lashire Azefack2
1Regional
Delegation South West Region, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Cameroon
2Teacher, Ministry of Secondary Education, Cameroon
ABSTRACT
Discipline in the educational milieu is a contemporary issue of national and
international interest. Cameroon is not left out in the national picture of
handling the problem of discipline in the educational sector. In a bid to
implement appropriate disciplinary measures in schools, the government of
Cameroon has put in place some procedures to guarantee the physical and
moral integrity of students in the educational system. These, include among
others, the substitution of corporal punishment with counseling in schools.
However, this decision has in a long and short run been said to jeopardize the
morals and lives of the teachers and students and in effect the future of
Cameroon. In this paper, we seek to investigate the constraints or
enhancements of the abolition of corporal punishment on the behaviors of
students in secondary schools in Cameroon; the root causes of school
disciplinary problems, the behavioral challenges teachers face in class, the
effectiveness of disciplinary reasoning and proposals from school
administrators on better disciplinary strategies to be implemented in
secondary schools. The study was limited to Buea in the South West Region of
Cameroon and a descriptive survey in which both qualitative and quantitative
methods were used in analyzing the data. The sample included a total of 155
respondents: 20 counselors, 15 administrators, 20 discipline masters and 100
teachers. Open and closed ended questionnaires were used as tools for data
collection. Findings suggested that: the abolition of corporal punishment
alongside other factors such as an un-conducive school environment was
responsible for highly noticeable deviant behaviors such as truancy,
delinquency and recalcitrance marked with insults from students on teachers
and administrators who try to discipline them. The idea of counseling is highly
welcomed by the teachers and administrators but corporal punishment will
better do the trick especially in the African context. The abolition of corporal
punishment is therefore a constraint on students’ behavior. The study strongly
suggests that corporal punishment should be reinstated but should be
carefully administered.
How to cite this paper: Nkemngong
Atemnkeng | Honorine Lashire Azefack
"Abolition of Corporal Punishment as a
Form of Discipline in Cameroon’s
Secondary Schools: “Constraint or
Enhancement”
of
Appropriate
Behaviors"
Published
in
International Journal
of Trend in Scientific
Research
and
IJTSRD30861
Development
(ijtsrd), ISSN: 24566470, Volume-4 | Issue-3, April 2020,
pp.1143-1150,
URL:
www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd30861.pdf
Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and
International Journal
of Trend in Scientific
Research
and
Development Journal.
This is an Open Access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by
/4.0)
KEYWORDS: Corporal punishment, discipline, secondary schools, constraint,
enhancement, appropriate behaviors.
INTRODUCTION
Discipline is a worldwide phenomenon considered as a
punishment in Cameroon is not seen as an act of child abuse
springboard to the development and exhibition of an
but an exhibition of love, and an endeavor to bring to selfappropriate behavior. The globalization of the world in the
consciousness and memory, the effects of inappropriate
21st century does not successfully homogenize respective
behavior.
cultures, practices and belief systems as far as instilling
discipline in education is concerned. Differences in norms,
Background
beliefs and values in disciplinary measures still exist in
In the span of history, discipline has been implemented
concepts such as punishment. The need for
based on the different cultural values that shape parental
children/learners to be disciplined which is a major
opinion and constitute a significant part of cultural or
ingredient for proper socialization, education and
religious belief. Corporal punishment has been condemned
development has caused parents, teachers and other
by both national and international bodies as an abuse to
administrators in charge of child welfare in Cameroon to rely
human right or the child. However, the long term
on different forms of punishment in order to enhance good
psychosocial and emotional benefits remain a topic for
manners. Pertinent amongst the numerous punishment
debate by educational stakeholders such as parents,
types is corporal punishment. To an African parent “you
teachers, school administrators and the government.
spare the cane and spoil the child” likewise “the ears of an
Egwunyenga (1994) sees discipline as the training that
African child are on the buttocks when canned”. Corporal
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control as well as direction. According to Abubakar (2000)
discipline is the ability and willingness to do what one ought
to do without external control. For him, discipline is
therefore a product of one’s volition to do whatever one
desires which maybe right or wrong. This choice however, is
born from an extensive work on discipline to shape the mind
and build good morals in the developing being using
different methods of which corporal punishment is the main
strategy to most Cameroonian parents and teachers.
Gershoff (2008) defines corporal punishment as physical
punishment which uses physical force intending to cause
bodily pain for the purpose of correcting or punishing a child
for their behavior. According to the United Nations
Committee on the Rights of the Child (2001), corporal
punishment is any punishment in which physical force is
used and intended to cause some degree of pain or
discomfort, however light. Corporal punishment is a punitive
act that inflicts pain (Muhammad and Muhammad, 2007).
Corporal punishment is one of the methods that have for
long been used in homes, schools and even churches to curb
bad behaviors and manners and ensure good discipline. For
a child or adult to demonstrate proper behavior without
external control, huge work must have been done to build
the mind towards identifying what is correct or not.
Peterson and O’Connor (2014) say there are three types of
corporal punishment: judicial corporal punishment, parental
or domestic corporal punishment and school corporal
punishment. These three types take place in different
settings as their names suggest. Judicial corporal
punishment is the type of punishment that takes place in
courts ordered by the law, parental or domestic corporal
punishment is the type that takes place at home exhibited by
parents, older siblings and other relations. School corporal
punishment is the type of punishment that takes place at
school exhibited by teachers, school prefects and school
administrators. Corporal punishment in Cameroonian
schools and homes can take the following forms: slapping,
hitting, kneeling without carrying a load, kneeling with a
load such as a stone on the head, pick a pin, flogging, rebuke,
carrying the hands on the head, standing for a duration of
time, extensive manual work (cultivation of the school
garden while classes are going on, fetching of water from a
distant area, sweeping the class for a duration of time)
suspension from classes with extensive manual labour which
usually lasts between 2 to 8 days, starvation from a meal and
reduction of allowances just to name some of these methods.
The United Nations and the European Union have advocated
the child’s rights to a non-violent upbringing and encouraged
member states to enact legislations banning all forms of
corporal punishment (No GC et al, 2013). The European
Commission for Human Rights views corporal punishment
“as a total lack of respect for the human being, it therefore
cannot depend on the age of the human being…. The sum
total of adverse effects, whether actual or potential,
produced by corporal punishment on the mental and moral
development of the child is enough to describe it as
degrading….” Physical punishment only becomes degrading
when it passes a certain degree of severity. Some
organizations like the UNICEF and UNESCO have opposed
the use of corporal punishment in schools on bases of ethical
and moral arguments against this use of force on children,
physical and emotional danger to students and modeling
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aggressive behavior. However, if it is administered justly, it
is essential to discipline (Veriava and Power, 2016).
According to Veriava and Power (2016), corporal
punishment breeds aggression and hostility and makes
learners unhappy which in turn contributes to absenteeism
and learners dropping out of school. It perpetuates the
acceptance of violent behavior in society. It does not
encourage learners to behave appropriately. It has the
potential to weaken the relationship between learner and
educator, which is crucial for the development of the learner
and causes psychological harm. In Cameroon, Corporal
punishment is unlawful under the Law of Cameroon National
Educational Guidelines No. 98/004 1998 (article 35) which
states; “The physical and moral integrity of the student is
guaranteed in the educational system. Therefore corporal
punishment and all other forms of violence, discrimination of
any kind…, are prohibited.” Banning corporal punishment
has led to a reduction in the levels of discipline, poor and illmannered learners Veriava and Power (2016). Invocavity
and Josephine(2014) holds that corporal punishment should
be reinstated and continued as a means of disciplining
students because students respond more to corporal
punishment. African students start experiencing corporal
punishment when they are young so without punishing
them, they will not act appropriately. In order to work by the
law on the abolition of corporal punishment, the state has
instituted school counselors who have been deployed to
provide counseling services in a majority of state owned
schools. It is however observed that most schools especially
private and denominational schools do not make use of this
disciplinary strategy (counseling) as counselors are hardly
noticed on their campuses. The continuous occurrences of
aberrancy in schools, leaves one to question the efficacy of
these counselors.
Statement of the Problem
The Cameroon educational system in the past especially
before the abolition of corporal punishment experienced
high levels of morality and discipline as was and is still
prescribed by our African culture and belief. The story today
is told as belonging to the past because of the opposite
happenings in our schools. Standards have fallen;
immorality, disrespect and deviancy now define secondary
schools. At the time of the ban on corporal punishment,
many studies had indicated the negative consequences of
corporal punishment which ranged from truancy, school
dropouts to deviancy. Although these cases existed, they
were however limited in number and occurrence. After the
ban of corporal punishment in 1998, schools in Cameroon
have been continuously plagued with many disciplinary
challenges demonstrated by students. Before the ban,
discipline in schools was firm and respect for hierarchy,
teachers, school administrators and self were top on the
disciplinary agenda. With this abolition, schools have
experienced deviant behaviors like drugs taking such as
marijuana and tramadol and possession of arms like knives
and cutlasses by students. This has resulted to deaths and
severe handicapping conditions to both teachers and
students. Students now welcome teachers to a fist fight and
vice versa. Teachers come to school in fear of the unknown
because the students can demonstrate their deviancy at any
time. Teachers therefore are at risk in the hands of the same
children they are to groom to be responsible citizens in
future. Lies telling, absenteeism from classes, late coming
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disrespect of teachers and senior students, high alcoholic
consumption, cultism, drug abuse, stealing, vandalism,
violence, bullying, dropouts, gangs, promiscuity and
insults/assaults, talking out of tone and physical abuse just
to name a few, are slowly becoming the order of the day in
schools today. It is based on these exigencies that we seek in
this work to question the effectiveness of disciplinary
reasoning against corporal punishment which has been
abolished in its favor and to verify if corporal punishment
should be reinstated and continued or not.
unstructured format. The instruments were constructed in
sections. Section one was a letter of introduction where the
researcher introduced herself and the topic and assured
respondents on the confidentiality of their responses. This
section carried the demographic information of respondents.
Section two carried the items developed and presented
following research objectives. The unstructured questions
provided room for respondents to further explain their
responses in depth to the structured questions thus
providing answers to the raised questions.
Objectives of the study
1. To investigate the root causes of school disciplinary
problems in Cameroon’s secondary schools today.
2. To find out the behavioral challenges teachers face in
class in the course of disciplining their students.
3. To investigate the effectiveness of disciplinary reasoning
in secondary schools in Cameroon.
4. To seek proposals from school administrators on better
disciplinary strategies to be implemented in schools.
5. To verify teachers’ stance on the abolition of corporal
punishment in schools.
Methods of Data Processing and Analysis
The study is a descriptive study in which both quantitative
and qualitative methods were employed in analyzing the
collected data. Quantitative data indicated how much of the
variable under study was present. Quantitative data were
analyzed using a pre-designed EpiData Version 3.1 (EpiData
Association, Odense Denmark, 2008). Database which has inbuilt consistency and validation checks was used to enter the
data. Further consistency, data range and validation checks
were also performed in SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Inc., 2012) to
identify invalid codes. Qualitative data were analyzed using
coded entries and further explanations were made with the
use of highlighted text directly presented as extracted from
the responses of the participants.
Instrument for data collection
The instruments constructed to collect data were
questionnaires that utilized the structured and the
Sample of the study
A total of six schools in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon, were chosen for the study. Below is a table that shows the
sample of schools and respondents used in the study.
Table 1: Total Number of Administrators, Discipline Masters, Counselors and Teachers.
School
Administrators Counselors Discipline masters
Bilingual grammar school, Molyko
3
6
4
Inter comprehensive secondary school
1
1
1
Government Technical High School, Molyko
2
5
4
Summerset Molyko Buea
1
1
1
Baptist High School, Buea
1
2
5
Government high school Bokwaongo
3
2
1
Jules Peeters college
2
1
1
St Therese Molyko Buea
2
2
3
Total
15
20
20
Teachers
24
10
10
10
12
15
9
10
100
Total
36
13
21
13
20
22
13
17
155
Total number of government schools 3, lay private schools 3 and denominational schools 2.
Level of
Education
DIPES I
DIPES II
Diploma
Degree
Masters
Others
Total
Table 2: Demographic analysis of all respondents’ level of education
Counselors
Teachers
Administrators and discipline masters
Frequency Percentage
Frequency Percentages
Frequency (n)
Percentages (%)
(n)
(%)
(n)
(%)
4
4%
3
8.5%
4
20%
24
24%
8
22.8%
10
10%
6
17.1%
6
30%
34
34%
8
22.8%
3
15%
10
10%
4
11.4%
7
35%
18
18%
6
17.1%
20
100%
100
100%
35
100%
From the above table, 6(30%) respondents had undergraduate degrees and 4 (20%) were holders of DIPES II. Three (15%)
were Masters degree holders, 7 (35%) had other qualifications not mentioned and there was no respondent with a DIPES
qualification or Diploma. Thirty four (34%) of the teachers were undergraduate degree holders and 24(24%) of these teachers
were equally holders of the DIPES II. Eighteen (18%) of the teachers did not specify their qualification. Ten (10%) teachers had
the Masters qualification with a diploma and only 4 (4%) teachers had the DIPES I. A greater number of the administrators and
discipline masters 8 (22.8%) were degree holders and equally holders of the DIPES II. Six (17.1%) were holders of a Diploma
and other qualifications while 4(11.4%) had the Masters degree and 3 (8.5%) were DIPES I holders.
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Age range
(years)
21-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46- 50
50 years+
Total
Counsellors
Frequency Percentages
(n)
(%)
4
20%
4
20%
2
10%
3
15%
3
15%
4
20%
20
100%
Table 3: Ages of all Respondents
Teachers
Administrators and discipline masters
Frequency
Percentages
Frequency (n)
Percentages
(n)
6
6%
21
21%
3
8.5%
36
36%
4
11.4%
20
20%
5
14.3%
6
6%
4
11.5%
10
28.5%
11
11%
9
25.7%
100
100%
35
100%
A cluster of 4 (20%) counsellors were within the age ranges of 26-30, 31-35 and above 50 years. Three (15%) were within the
age ranges of 41-45 years and 46-50 years while two (10%) were within the age range of 36-40 years and no respondent was
within the age range of 21-25 years. As for teachers, a majority of the teachers 36 (36%) were within the age range of 31-35
and 21 (21%) were within the age range of 26-30 years. Twenty (20%) teachers were within the age range of 36-40 years
while teachers at the age of 50 who took part in the study were 11 (11%) and 6 (6%) were within the age range of 21-25 years.
For administrators and discipline maters, a greater number who participated in the study were between the ages of 46-50
years with a proportion of 10 (28.5%), 9 (25.7%) were above the age of 50 while 5 (14.3%) were within the age range of 36-40
years. Those who were within the age ranges of 31-35 years and 41-45 years had the same proportion of 4 (11.5%) each and a
few of the respondents were within 26-30 years with a proportion of 3 (8.5%).
Counsellors
Frequency Percentages
(n)
(%)
8
40%
12
60%
20
100%
Gender
Male
Female
Total
Table 4: Gender of all Respondents
Teachers
Administrators and discipline masters
Frequency
Percentage
Frequency (n)
Percentage (%)
(n)
(%)
44
44%
20
57.1%
56
56%
15
42.8%
35
100%
Most of the counsellors and teachers who took part in the study were females with a proportion of 12(60%), while there were
more male administrators and discipline masters 20(57.1%). Only 8(40%) and 44(44%) of counsellors and teachers
respectively were males and 15(42.8%) of administrators and discipline masters were females.
Working
experience
Less than 5
years
5-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
Above 20
years
Total
Table 5: Working Experience of all Respondents
Counsellors
Teachers
Administrators and discipline masters
Frequency Percentages Frequency
Percentages
Frequency (n)
Percentages (%)
(n)
(%)
(n)
(%)
7
35%
30
30%
5
14.2%
3
2
4
15%
10%
20%
40
12
18
40%
12%
18%
4
4
6
11.4%
11.4%
17.1%
4
20%
-
-
16
45.7%
20
100%
100
100%
35
100%
The table above shows working experience of counsellors, teachers and administrators/discipline masters who took part in the
study. Most of the counsellors had not worked for up to five years with a proportion of 7(35%). More of the respondents had
worked for 16-20 years and above 20 years with a proportion of 4 (20%) for each of these ranges. A few had working
experience of between 5-10 years with a proportion of 3(15%). The least of the respondents had worked between 11-15 years
with a proportion of 2 (10%). Most of the teachers were those who had worked between 5-10 years with a proportion of 40
(40%). While those who had less than five years working experience had a proportion of 30 (30%), respondents with above 15
years of working experience had a proportion of 18 (18%). A few of the respondents with a proportion of 12 (12%) had
worked between 11-15 years. The administrators and discipline masters who had worked for more than 20 years dominated
the study with a proportion of 16 (45.7%). This was followed by those who had worked within 16-20 years with a proportion
of 6 (17.1%). Respondents who had worked for less than 5 years were represented with a proportion of 5 (14.2%) while a few
respondents who had worked for 5-10 years and 11-15 years were represented with a proportion of 4 (11.4%).
Questions
What disciplinary strategies do you propose should be used in schools?
School administrators, discipline masters and Counsellors proposed a range of disciplinary strategies that will work best for
them in curbing the challenging issues surrounding the attitudes of students in school. Amongst others were, the provision of
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guidance counselling to students, kneeling, hard labour and cleaning of the campus during break and after school hours. Some
of the respondents further explained “I will like counsellors to be employed in schools to guide and counsel students on
disciplinary issues”. Another respondent commented that “the use of hard labour in appropriate situation is also good... that is ask
students to work around the campus during break and early in the morning”. Others also proposed open condemnation of the
students in the presence of their parents and peers as a good disciplinary measure. A majority of the administrators proposed
canning and hard labour. A few suggested suspension of students and or even dismissal depending on the gravity of the crime.
What is your impression on the abolition of corporal punishment in schools?
Most of the respondents maintained that, the abolition of corporal punishment in schools has not solved the problem. They
opined that, students are more recalcitrant with the knowledge that there are limited and lighter disciplinary measures to be
taken on them and tend to equate themselves to their teachers. They also held that, the abolition of corporal punishment has
made most students to be more delinquent, truant and become bullies to their classmates and friends. Some respondents
maintained that corporal punishment should not have been abolished as some students only understand the language of the
cane. A counsellor explained, “It is not a good idea because students will just commit crimes without any real fear of being
punished since they already know corporal punishment has been abolished.” Other respondents lamented the abolition of
corporal punishment as can be seen from this respondent; “I wish it should be reversed. Some students can only understand
certain rules after the pain of a cane.”
However, a few of the respondents were of the opinion that, the abolition of corporal punishment is a good thing. Some held
that, “it is good they abolished it because some teachers will prefer correcting their students by words and not using the cane”.
Another respondent explained that “corporal punishment is not the best because some teachers can kill a student through
beating... I am not for it at all.”
Table 6: Administrators, Discipline Masters and Counsellor’s Opinion on the Abolition of Corporal Punishment
and the Effectiveness of Recent Methods Used
Question
Response option
Total
Yes/percentage No/percentage
Since the abolition of corporal punishment in schools, do you
19 (34%)
36 (65.5%)
55 (100%)
think the students’ behaviours have improved?
In your opinion was corporal punishment more effective in
38 (69.1%)
17 (30.9%)
55 (100%)
shaping students’ behaviour than the methods we use today?
A majority of the respondents 36 (65.5%) stated clearly that, there was no improvement in student’s behaviour since the
abolition of corporal punishment hence corporal punishment was more effective in shaping learners’ behaviour than other
methods of discipline. A lesser number 19 (34.5%) maintained that students’ behaviours have improved and insisted that
corporal punishment was not effective in shaping behaviours of learners. Respondents further explained that, “the abolition of
corporal punishment in schools has brought a nightmare to teachers and other staff, as students even come to school with indecent
uniforms and even knives” as maintained by one of the respondents. Another great proportion of the respondents acknowledged
that, students have been more afraid of the cane but since its abolition students now find pleasure in being outside and turn to
disrespect their teachers. This respondent maintained that “most students are scared of corporal punishment and turn to respect
their teachers” another respondent held that “nothing frightens them more than the cane. Since it was banned, they find pleasure
in being outside”. Others opined that “with the abolition of corporal punishment in schools things have gotten worse, violence in
schools have increased” another respondent questioned that “can we all agree that the crime rate has instead worsened?.”
Table 7: Do you think it is preferable to continue using corporal punishment in schools?
Response option
Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
It should be totally abolished
8
14.5%
It should be maintained
14
25.5%
It should be carefully administered and maintained
33
60.0%
Total
55
100%
Most of the respondents 33 (60.0%) were of the view that corporal punishment should not be completely eradicated but should
be carefully administered and maintained while more of the respondents 14 (25.5%) held that corporal punishment should be
maintained in secondary schools and a few 8 (14.5%) held that corporal punishment should be totally abolished in secondary
schools.
To support their response choices, most of the respondents held that corporal punishment should be carefully administered
and maintained because it sharpens students’ behaviour and helps in most cases where students are not so hardened. It
worked in the past so it would not be different if it is reinstated, we should not spare the rod and spoil the child, it creates
awareness in students and makes them conscious. Some also maintained that, it should be carefully administered and
maintained because some students have phobia for the cane and will only behave well with the use of the cane.
However, a few of the respondents were of the opinion that corporal punishment should be totally abolished for the following
views; “corporal punishment makes a lot of students stubborn and some teachers flog carelessly causing more harm than good.”
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Types of corporal punishment proposed to be administered
Type of punishment Frequency (n)
Spanking
Slapping
Paddling
Hard labour
38
Canning
9
Kneeling
7
Pick a pin
1
Lying on the floor
Total
55
Percentage (%)
69.1%
16.4%
12.7%
1.8%
100%
Hard labour, canning, kneeling, and “pick a pin” were the proposed punishment types with hard labour at the top of the
proposal 38 respondents were for it giving a percentage of 69.1%.
Table 8: Effects of the Abolition of Corporal Punishment on Students’ Behaviour
Items
Not noticeable (%)
Moderate n (%)
Very noticeable n (%)
Truancy
8 (14.5%)
16(29.1%)
31 (56.4%)
Student’s self esteem
8 (14.8%)
8 (14.6%)
39 (70.9%)
Conflict amongst students
12(21.8%)
15 (27.3%)
28 (50.9%)
Conflict between teachers and students
38 (69.1%)
8 (14.6%)
9 (16.4%)
Respect for teachers
8 (14.6%)
13 (23.6%)
34 (61.8%)
Respect for school rules
40 (72.7%)
15 (27.3%)
0 (0%)
Child abuse
13 (23.6%)
21 (38.2%)
21 (38.2%)
Laziness of students
10 (18.2%)
15 (27.3%)
30(54.5%)
Use of drugs
34 (61.8%)
15(27.3%)
6 (10.9%)
Use of mobile phones
8 (14.8%)
8 (14.8%)
39(70.9%)
Possession of arms like knives
23 (41.8%)
6 (10.9%)
36 (47.3%)
Smoking
38 (69.1%)
10 (18.2%)
7 (12.7%)
School dropout
45 (81.8%)
6 (10.9%)
4 (7.3%)
Alcohol consumption
34 (61.8%)
0 (0%)
21 (38.2%)
Cultism
28 (50.9%)
20 (36.4%)
7 (12.7%)
Stealing
30 (54.5%)
15 (27.3%)
10 (18.2%)
Vandalism
0 (0%)
19 (34.5%)
36 (65.5%)
Violence
15 (26.3%)
20 (36.4%)
20 (36.4%)
Bullying
9 (16.3%)
10 (18.2%)
36 (65.5%)
Ganging
9 (16.3%)
13 (23.6%)
33 (60.0%)
Late coming
0 (0%)
9 (16.3%)
46 (83.6%)
Insult and assault
8 (14.8%)
9 (16.3%)
36(65.5%)
From the table above, respondents highlighted behaviours that were very noticeable in students due to the abolition of
corporal punishment which included; truancy, conflict between students, disrespect for teachers, laziness of students, careless
use of mobile phones, vandalism, violence, bullying, ganging, late coming and use of insults and assaults. Behaviours that were
observed to be moderate included a boost to students’ self-esteem, respect for teachers and child abuse. Respondents however
reported some behaviours that were not noticeable and they included; conflicts between teachers and students, respect for
school rules, use of drugs, possession of arms like knives, smoking, school dropouts, alcohol consumption, cultism, child abuse
and stealing just to name some.
Analysis of Teachers’ Questionnaires
What are the types of behavioural challenges you face in class/school?
Most of the respondents highlighted truancy as the main behavioural challenge they face in class. More specifically,
respondents listed a long range of mild behaviours which included; noise making, bullying, fighting, failure in doing
assignments, movement in class during lessons, lukewarm attitude towards assignments, eating in class, poor dressing, late
coming, stubbornness, laziness, and insubordination. More severe behaviours highlighted by teachers included; wrong use of
mobile phones in class during lessons, constant fist fighting resulting from drug addiction, stealing, gambling in class, smoking,
rudeness and aggressiveness towards teachers, threats of life on teachers and fellow mates, brutalization and disruption of
school programmes, breaking of bounds and violent and rebellious approaches from students.
What challenges do you face trying to shape students’ behaviour and discipline?
The challenges teachers faced in shaping student’s behaviour could be categorized as mild, severe or profound. Challenges
which were seen to be mild amongst others included; resistance from parents for teachers to discipline their children, snobby
attitudes from students, students talking back at teachers, failure to listen to advice, retaliation from students, rudeness of
students to their teachers, disobedience and the influence of peer pressure. The severe challenges include; insults from
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students, students talking back at teachers, threats to attack teachers out of school, students dropping out of school, threats of
life, hatred from students, stiff resistance from students and even from parents of the students.
Table 9: Which methods do you usually use in disciplining students in class?
Discipline methods
Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Counseling
28
28%
Kneeling
40
40%
Corporal punishment
16
16%
Standing at the back of the class
10
10%
Others
6
6%
Total
100
100%
Respondents highlighted many methods they use in disciplining students in class. Amongst these methods most of the
respondents with a proportion of 40 (40%) pointed to kneeling as the main disciplinary measure used in class. This was
followed by counselling with a proportion of 28 (28%). While 16 (16%) responded that they use corporal punishment to
discipline students. Ten (10%) opined that they ask students to stand at the back of the class and a few respondents with a
proportion of 6 (6%) did use other strategies such as canning, pinching and threats of reduction of marks. The respondents also
affirmed that the methods they use have worked best for them.
Table 10: Which methods do you propose should be introduced and maintained as a disciplinary method in
schools?
Methods proposed
Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Use of cane
40
40%
Punishment by hard labour
20
20%
Counseling
32
32%
Others
8
8%
Total
100
100%
From the methods proposed by teachers, use of the cane (flogging) ranked first with 40 (40%) respondents. This was followed
by counselling with 32 (32%). Some of the respondents, 20 (20%) suggested the use of punishment by hard labour as a
disciplinary method to be introduced and maintained. A few respondents with a proportion of 8 (8%) suggested other methods
such as kneeling, standing at the back of the class for the whole day, stiff checks at the entrance as students come to school with
objects (drugs and weapons), threats of marks reduction, suspension and or dismissal. Respondents who suggested use of cane
backed their methods by providing the following explanations. “most students are scared of the cane and so when they see it they
turn to follow instructions” another maintained that “though corporal punishment builds hatred and pain in the minds of the
student, it will go a long way to strengthen their behaviour as they say a “mother beats with the right hand and consoles with the
left hand.” Others held that, “the language of the cane is the language students understands best” while some respondents were of
the opinion that “you cannot spare the rod and spoil the child. ...corporal punishment worked best in the past and as Africans it will
still work well today.”
Those in support of counselling said it is less confrontational. They equally held that counselling brings out the reason for not
continuing to do the wrong thing and also shows a positive change if the right counselling is done. Some respondents asserted
that counselling strengthens the bond between the students and the teacher. However, some respondents remarked that
students need a balance of both the use of the cane and counselling to keep them in line.
Analysis of questionnaires for Head of Schools and Discipline Masters
Table 11: Do you have counsellors in your school?
Question
Response option
Yes / percentage No / percentage
Total
Do you have counselors in your school?
23(65.7%)
12 (34.3%)
Are there counselors always present?
In your opinion, do you think their service is
worth maintaining?
Do you think counseling should be continued as a
method of discipline?
With the institution of counseling as a major
method of discipline, do you feel safe in school?
23(65.7%)
12(34.5)
35
(100%)
35(100%)
21(60%)
14(40%)
35(100%)
33(94.3%)
2(5.7)
35(100%)
26 (74.3%)
9 (25.7%)
35(100%)
A majority of respondents 23 (65.7%) affirmed that their institutions had school counsellors and they were always present
while 12 (34.3%) disaffirmed of their schools not having counsellors hence not present. A majority of the respondents 21
(60.0%) agreed to the effectiveness and maintenance of the counsellors but held that the counsellors had only impacted the
students averagely. Fourteen (40.0%) did not see the need for their services giving that, their impact in discipline of students
was minimal. However, 94.3% constituting a majority were of the opinion that counselling should be continued as a form of
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discipline but should be done alongside other corporal punishment methods such as hard labour. The administrators felt safe in
school with counselling being the main method of discipline as a majority of 26 (74.3%) reported.
Behaviours noticed on campus after the services of the counsellors?
School administrators and discipline masters reported that, respect for teachers and peers, humility and hard work, success in
exams, decent dressing especially by the girls, increased consciousness to studies, were some of the positive outcomes
observed and these served as major achievements of the counsellors. However, more negative behaviours were observed such
as brutality, late coming, truancy, drug consumption, boycott of classes, fighting, lack of respect, stealing, smoking, vandalism,
bullying and high alcohol consumption.
Table 12: The following factors are responsible for deviancy in Cameroon secondary schools
Items
Agree
Disagree
N
Strict school rules and regulation
33 (60.0%) 22 (40.0%) 55
Un-conducive school environment
44 (80.0%) 11 (20.0%) 55
Lack of extracurricular activities
10 (13.2%) 45 (81.8%) 55
Poor teaching performed by some teachers
17 (30.9%) 38 (69.1%) 55
Teachers’ lateness and absenteeism
17 (30.9%) 38 (69.1%) 55
Overcrowded classrooms
30 (54.6%) 25 (45.4%) 55
Poor study habits
33 (60.0%) 22 (40.0%) 55
Students’ restlessness
35 (63.6%) 20 (36.4%) 55
Poor leadership of some schools
40 (72.7%) 15 (27.3%) 55
Administrators
23 (41.8%) 32 (58.2%) 55
Emotional instability by students
40 (72.7%) 15 (27.3%) 55
Poor academic performance
35 (63.6%) 25 (36.4%) 55
Family background
30 (54.6%) 15 (45.4%) 55
Abolition of corporal punishment
45 (81.8%) 10 (13.2%) 55
Low self-esteem due to constant negative labels 30 (54.6%) 25(45.4%) 55
Abuse of seniority by prefects
34 (61.8%) 26 (38.2%) 55
Parental rejection of some children
36 (65.5%) 19 (34.5%) 55
parental over protection of children
26 (47.3%) 28 (52.7%) 55
Mass media/social media
38 (69.1%) 17 (30.9%) 55
Abolition of corporal punishment and un-conducive school environment topped the list of factors responsible for deviancy in
schools with percentages above 80. This was closely followed by poor leadership of schools and emotional instability of
students on an equal scale of 72.7%. Mass media, student’s restlessness, parental rejection, poor academic performance, poor
study habits and strict school rules and regulations were agreed on at a percentage ranging between 60-69%. Other factors
averagely responsible for deviancy in Cameroon’s schools included: Overcrowded classrooms, family background, and low selfimage of some students due to constant negative labels.
Conclusion
From our field work, this study leads us to hold that, the
abolition of corporal punishment has not solved disciplinary
problems. It is actually the main cause of increasing deviant
behaviours in secondary schools in Cameroon. Since its
abolition, disciplinary problems such as truancy, conflicts
between teachers and students, students and students,
vandalism and ganging are on the high increase. Abolishing
corporal punishment has rendered the teaching and learning
process in a majority of our schools, according to our study,
ineffective. It is on these notes that, a large portion of the
teachers we came across in our study, strongly suggest that,
corporal punishment be reinstated because students fear the
cane more and by our African cultural tradition, we
discipline effectively with the cane. This will do much good
in ensuring more effective teaching and learning in our
schools.
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[3] Faranaaz Veriava and Tina Power (2016). Basic
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